Z Cars (1962)

Crime · Drama

Z-Cars or Z Cars is a British television drama series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, Merseyside. Produced by the BBC, it debuted in January 1962 and ran until September 1978.

IMDb rating: 7.1 (494 votes)
Episode average: 7.1 matches the IMDb rating
Seasons: 10
Language: EN
Type: TV series

Rating trend: this show's seasons do not settle into one shape. Rising Shows ranks whole shows by the shape of their rating trend rather than one average score, which is how you find a show that got better rather than a show that started well.

Browse shows by rating shape → Open in Rising Shows app → View on IMDb

Ratings refreshed Oct 3, 2026 · 10 seasons indexed

Cast

Seasons

Season 1 (1962)

6.99 avg 17 episodes 6.9 → 7.0

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Four of a Kind	6.9	40
2	Limping Rabbit	6.9	26
3	Handle with Care	7.3	31
4	Stab in the Dark	6.7	22
5	Big Catch	6.7	27
6	Friday Night	7.4	22
7	Suspended	6.7	20
14	Found Abandoned	7.0	26
15	The Best Days	6.8	21
16	Invisible Enemy	6.8	23
17	Down and Out	6.7	10
18	Further Enquiries	6.8	22
20	People's Property	7.5	24
21	Hi-Jack!	7.0	19
22	Incident Reported	7.4	23
26	Contraband	7.2	21
28	Appearance in Court	7.0	25

Season 2 (1962)

7.32 avg 13 episodes 6.4 → 7.8

Rollercoaster

Season 2 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	On Watch - Newtown	6.4	20
2	Full Remission	7.8	22
4	Information Received	7.6	23
5	Friendly Relations	7.5	19
9	Person Unknown	7.9	18
10	Ambush	7.2	21
32	Train of Events	6.8	19
33	By the Book	7.5	23
37	Quiet Confidence	6.9	22
38	Scare	7.3	23
39	Caught by the Ears	6.3	24
41	The Whizzers	8.2	26
42	Police Work	7.8	25

Season 3 (1963)

7.19 avg 19 episodes 7.4 → 6.5

Rollercoaster

Season 3 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
2	Made for Each Other	7.4	8
3	A La Carte	9.4	31
18	... and a Happy New Year	7.5	23
19	Happy-Go-Lucky	6.8	22
21	I Mean... Where Does It Stop?	5.6	18
23	No Malice	7.8	18
24	Profit by Their Example	6.7	17
25	A Question of Storage	7.0	16
26	Fun and Games	6.8	16
27	A Man... Like Yourself	7.7	20
28	A Straight Deal	7.1	20
29	Happy Families	7.1	18
30	Inside Job	7.3	16
31	Clues Are What You Think	7.5	19
32	The Whole Truth.....	6.8	16
33	Whistle, and Come Home	7.2	14
34	First Class Citizen	6.8	11
35	Seconds Away	7.6	12
36	Centre of Disturbance	6.5	9

Season 7 (1972)

7.39 avg 8 episodes 7.7 → 7.6 24 min avg

Season 7 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
68	Loyalties: Part 1	7.7	19
69	Loyalties: Part 2	7.8	18
70	Relative Values: Part 1	7.1	10
71	Relative Values: Part 2	7.0	10
72	Not Good Enough: Part 1	7.3	10
73	Not Good Enough: Part 2	7.3	10
74	Breakage: Part 1	7.3	10
75	Breakage: Part 2	7.6	10

Season 8 (1972)

7.69 avg 7 episodes 8.6 → 7.3 49 min avg

Season 8 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Connor	8.6	10
2	The Team	7.7	10
3	Witness	7.6	8
4	Takes All Sorts	7.4	8
5	Sins of the Father	7.6	8
6	Damage	7.6	11
7	Day Trip	7.3	11

Season 9 (1973)

6.65 avg 10 episodes 7.8 → 7.1

Rollercoaster

Season 9 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
7	Pieces	7.8	8
8	The Cinder Path	6.2	22
10	Absence	6.8	20
12	In Police Hands	5.1	20
14	Joanna	7.9	15
15	Pressure	6.0	13
21	Priority	6.3	16
22	Background	6.4	18
26	Pastime	6.9	22
28	Family	7.1	15

Season 10 (1974)

6.86 avg 16 episodes 6.5 → 7.0

Season 10 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
5	Friends	6.5	18
6	Gardens	7.2	26
7	Quiet as the Grave	6.4	19
8	Pursuit	7.5	19
10	Occupation	6.1	19
13	House to House	6.8	14
15	Local Knowledge	7.0	18
18	Tonight and Every Night	7.1	19
19	Transit	6.4	18
21	Squatters	6.9	21
22	Eviction	6.7	17
24	Thanks But... No Thanks	7.3	20
25	Krónur	6.6	19
28	Distance	7.1	25
29	Ritual	7.1	19
30	Legacy	7.0	21

Season 11 (1976)

6.96 avg 8 episodes 7.1 → 6.5

Season 11 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Guns	7.1	25
2	Manslaughter	7.3	23
4	The Frighteners	7.2	25
6	Kidnap	6.2	16
10	Ringers	7.4	21
11	Fairground	7.1	22
12	Hunch	6.9	23
13	Scot Free	6.5	17

Season 12 (1977)

6.57 avg 3 episodes 7.5 → 5.4

Declining

Season 12 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
3	Guilt	7.5	21
8	Rip Off	6.8	20
9	Quarry	5.4	18

Season 13 (1978)

7.03 avg 3 episodes 6.2 → 7.7

Rising

Season 13 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
3	Debris	6.2	22
11	Prey	7.2	25
13	Pressure	7.7	31